Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-25
.rng IN every direction like storm clouds be-


that we may stop here till we are starved
out. which we pretty well are However. ith
no use talking about 1t, so I'm OH to get our
rations. Let's see, have you got everything
you wantm
Everything, thanks"
GWellu then, mind you stop quiet till come
backn
'Why,n laughed John, II am as strong as a
horse"
Possibly; but that is what the doctor said,
you know. Good-byep And jess took her
big basket and started on what John used to
feebly call her rational undertaking"
She had not got fifty PAGES from the door
before she suddenly caught sight of familiar
form seated on familiar pony The form
was fat and jovia1 looking, and the pony was
small but also fat It was Hans Goetzee-
none otherl
jess could hardly believe her eyes Old
Hans in Pictorial What could it meant
"Om Coetzeei ON Coetzeer' she called, as
he came ambling past her, evidently making
for the Heidelberg road
The old Boer pulled up his pony, and gazed
around him in mystified way.
"Here, ON Coetzeel Herel"
"Allemachter" he said, jerking bis pony
round. ats you, Missile jess, is it9 Now
who would have thought of seeing you herea'
"Who would have thought of seeing you
here!n she answered
ayes, yes; it seems strange; dare say that
ii seems strange But am messenger of
peace, like Uncle Noah's dove in the ark, you
know. The fact is, and he glanced round to
| see if anybody were listening, II have been
sent by the government to arrange about an
exchange of prisoners"
"The government, What government"
"What government Why, the triumvirate,
of course-whom may the Lord bless and
prosper as he did Jonah when he walked on
the wall of the city,
Joshua, when he walked round the wall of
the city, suggested Jess "Jonah walked
| down the whales throat"
"Ahl to be sure, so he did, and blew q
| trumpet inside. l remember now; though l
| am sure | don't know how he did it. The
| fact is that our glorious victories have quite
| confused me- Ali what thing it is to be
| patriot The dear Lord makes strong the
arm of the patriot, and takes care that he hits
his man well in the middle"
"You have turned wonderfully patriotic all
of sudden, ON Coetzee, said jess, tartly.
1 y
bone of my back / hate the English govern
ment; d-n the English government Let us
have our land back and our volksraad Al
mighty / saw who was in the right at
Laing's Mex there All, those poor rooibaat-
jest / shot four of them myself; two as they
came up and two as they ran away, and the
last one went head over heels like buck.
Poor man! cried for him afterward / did
not like going to fight at all, but Frank Null
Ter sent to me and said that if did not go be
| would have me shot All, he is a devil of
man, that Frank Mullerl So / went, and
| when / saw how the dear Lord had put it into
| the heart of the English general to be bigger
fool even that day than he is every day, and
to try and drive US out of Laing's Mex with
a thousand of his poor rooihaatjes, then,
tell you. saw where the right lay. and
said, On the English government What
is the English government doing herep and
after Ingogo l said it again"
"Never mind all that, Om Coetzee,n broke
in Jess Il have heard you tell different
tale before, and perhaps you will again. Tell
me, how are my uncle and my sisteri Are
they at the farm!"
almighty you don't suppose that have
been there to see, do YOU'D But, yes, l have
heard they are there. 1t is nice place, that
Mooifontein, and l think that shall buy it
| when we have turned all you English people
out of the land. Frank Muller told me that
they were there. And now must be getting
on, or that devil of a man, Frank Muller,
will want to know what have been about :"
"Om Coetzee, j" said jess, twill you do some
thing for mel We are old friends, YOU
know, and | once persuaded my uncle to
lend you $500 when all your oxen died of the
lungsick-"
ayes, yes, it shall be paid back one day
when we have got the id Englishmen out
of the country" And he began to gather up
his reins preparatory to riding off
"Will you do me favorgn said jess, catch
ing the pony by the bride
what is it9 What is it, missie7 l must
be getting on. That devil of a man, Frank
Muller. is waiting for me with the prisoners
at the Rooihuis Kraal"
a want pass for myself and Capt. Mel,
and an escort. We want to get down home. y
The old Boer held up his fat hands in
amazement
Almighty he said, 'it is impossible A
pass-who ever heard of such thingi Come,
l must be going
at is not impossible, Uncle Coetzee, as you
know" said jess. "Listen If l get that
pass will speak to my uncle about the $500
Perhaps he would not want it all back again y
"Ahln said the Boer well, we are old
friends, missile, and never desert friend,
that is my saying. Almighty l will ride a
hundred miles-I will swim through blood fol-
friend Well, well, will see 1t will de
pend upon that devil of man, Frank Muller.
Where are you to be found-in the white
house yonderl Good Tomorrow the escort
will come in with the prisoners, and if car
get it they will bring the pass But, missile
remember the $500 If you do not speak tc
your uncle about that | shall be even with
him. Almighty! what thing it is to have 9
good heart and to love to help your friends
Well, good day, good day." and off he can
tered on his fat pony, his broad face shining
with look of unutterable benevolence.
jess cast look of contempt after him and
then went on toward the camp to fetch the
rations-
When she got back to 1.-THE Palatial" shs
told John what had taken place, and sug
gested that it would be as well, in case ther,
should be favorable reply to her request, t.
have everything prepared for a start, and &C
cordingly the cart was brought down and stoot
outside THE Palatial. and John unscrewe(
. the patent caps and filed them with castol
oil. and ordered Mouti to keep the horses
which wereall well, though poor" from wan
of proper food, well within hail
Meanwhile, old Hans pursued the jerky
tenor of his way for an hour or so, till h,
came in sight Of a small red house
Presently, from the shadow in front of tn,
red house emerged a horseman, mounted on
powerful black horse The borseman-,
stern, handsome, bearded man-put his hant
about his eyes to shade them from the sun
and gazed up the road. Then he seemed t,
suddenly strike his spurs into the horse, fo
the animal gave sudden bound forward, ant
came sweeping towards Hans at hant
gallop.
"Ahi it is that devil of a man, Frank Mul
lerl" calculated Hans @Now wonder wha